Pleased to be injury free for more than a year, co-captain Kayla Sharland is looking forward to playing a leading role in the Black Sticks team in the next 14 months as the team builds up to next year's London Olympics.
A key playmaker, Sharland has endured more than her share of injuries including a wrecked knee, but careful rehabilitation and training mean that she has played the past year without interruption, and will co-captain the team, along with good friend Emily Naylor, at the prestigious Champions Trophy in the Netherlands this month.
Sharland was in Christchurch yesterday before heading out tomorrow with other team members for a series of warmup games in Europe before the Champions Trophy, which starts in Amsteelven on June 25. She has been injury free since early last year and stayed in New Zealand after the Commonwealth Games to continue her rehabilitation, rather than playing in Europe.
"I needed a break after the Commonwealth Games and worked on getting strength back into my knee. Apart from a few niggles I have been injury free. It's the best run I've had for a long time."Former national coach Ian Rutledge brought Sharland into the national squad as a 17-year-old schoolgirl. Now 25, she has played 127 games for the Black Sticks, mostly in the midfield.
Sharland has just returned from Australia where she played in the national league for South Australia, helping the team to win the national title for the first time in 16 years.
Sharland will be a key component in a young Black Sticks squad that is aiming to lift its ranking beyond its seventh in the next 14 months. The first opportunity to boost that ranking will be the Champions Trophy, which has been extended from six to eight teams this year.
The tournament has been split into two pools of four and the Black Sticks have drawn tough opponents – the Netherlands, Germany and Australia. Argentina, China, England and South Korea are in the other pool.
New Zealand have never finished better than fifth at a Champions Trophy but fifth this year would be an acceptable place. However, Sharland says the team is aiming higher. "We want to be in the top two in our pool and to do that we will have to beat Germany and Australia.
"We play Germany first and think we can surprise them, and we play Australia the next day."New Zealand last played Australia at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi last year and were beaten on penalty strokes.